Jones



(No Modl.) WS W- JONES.

Machine for Making Rims fOI'TQPS of Metal Vessels. vNo. 235,878. VPatented Dec. 28,1880

WITNESSES: I INVENTOR: zazayo dz; 603%? 717k ATVTURNEYS.

UNITED STATES FATENT @Frrcn.

WILLIAM JONES, OF NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE.

MACHINE FOR MAKING RIMS FOR TOPS OF METAL VESSELS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Batent No. 235,878, dated December28, 1880, Application filed May 14, 1880. (No model.)

To all whomt't may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM W. JONES, of Nashville, in the county ofDavidson and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Machines for Making Rims for Tops of Metal Vessels; andI do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of the same.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple machine which willoperate upon a straight strip of metal flanged upon one of its edges, toconvert it into a hoop of any rerequired diameter, and of such shape incrosssection as will render it peculiarly suited to form the flange forthe cover of sheet'metal vessels. The sheet-metal blanks to be actedupon by the machine are first cut into flat rectangular sheets ofsuitable length to form a hoop of the required diameter and ofsufflcient width to form the rim, and also to allow of a flange ofsuitable width to connect the rim to the cover.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a plan view of the machine.Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the machine with the roller end of themachine in section in the line a: :10 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 a verticaltransverse section of the machine in the line 2 z of Fig. 2, lookingtoward the front of the machine; Fig. 4,a transverse vertical section inthe line 51 y of Fig. 1, and Fig. 5 an end elevation of the machine.

A suitable base, A, supports housing B B, to which is fitted boxing O Gthat supports the 3 5 journals of gudgeons D D, arranged one above theother and connected by spur-pinions E E of equal diameter, to revolvethe gudgeons in opposite directions at equal speed. The gudgeons D Dpass through'their boxing and extend outside the housing B at the frontof the machine, and are provided with rollers E E, secured to theirouter ends. Each of the rollers is provided with a rim, 6, between whichthe blanks are rolled, of slightly larger diameter than the hub portion6, which will admit of the inner portion of the blank near the flange tobe expanded, and allow the outer or unflanged portion of the blank topass freely between therolls without being acted upon by them. The edgeof the blank is turned down to form the flange by means of afolder orother well-known mechanical means, and the blank is then ready to be fedto the machine.

My invention essentially consists in a machine provided with threerollers, two of them upon horizontal axis, between which the body of theblank is passed, and a third roller, arranged upon a vertical aXis,'tobear against the flanged edge of the blank and stretch the flange in acorresponding degree with the expansion or flare given to the body ofthe blank by the action of the other rollers. I

My invention further consists in means, hereinafter described, forfeeding the blank to the rollers, fordetermining the diameter of thehoop formed by the machine, for guiding the blank after it has left therollers, and for regulating the flare given to the body of the blank,and for adjusting the rollers to operate in an equally efi'ective mannerupon blanks of different widths, to form either broad or very narrowrims.

A bed-plate, F, has a gutter, f, formed in its upper surface to receivethe flange of the blank and direct it to the rollers and hold the blankin proper position as it passes between them. The plate F is secured toa frame or casing, G, that surrounds the roller E, and is adjustedthereon relatively to the rollers by means of a setscrew, f.

A narrow-faced roller, H, of about one-half the diameter of the rollersE E, is provided with a stud-axlethat is held vertically in a socket, g,in the casing, so that the periphery of the roller will bear against theflange of the blank at a point directly opposite the point of contact ofthe rollers E E, and is forced against the flange with any requireddegree of pressure by a set-screw, h, pressing against a bearing-block,h, against which the axle of the roller H rests. The pressure of theroller H upon the flange expands the metal of the blank at that point bypressing it against the lower roller, E, to conform to the expansiongiven to the body of the blank by the action of the rollers E E. Theupper roller, E, is milled upon the rim portion 0, and is caused topress with suflicient force upon the blank,

as it passes beneath it, to crimp the inner or middle portion of theband upon its upper surface and expand the metal at its lower surin itscross-section.

face by pressing it against the smooth surface of the lower roller. Theflange and middle portion of the body of the blank is thus expanded, andthe unflangcd edge or rim of the blank is not acted upon, so that aflaring and somewhat convex shape is given to the blank The expansionand crimping of a portion of the'metal only, in themanner described,will bend the blank into the form of a true circle, the diameter ofwhich. is determined by guide-plates in the following manner: v

A guide-plate, I, rests at one end upon the surface of the lower roller,E, near its point of contact with the roller E and opposite thebed-plate F, and is supported at the other end by a pin, 41, adjustablysecured to a slotted segment-plate, K, secured to the housing B. Theslot in the plate K is formed in the arc of a circle of which the plateI is the radius and its point of contact with the roller E is thecenter. The. angle of the plate I and its tangential relation to therollers E E may be varied without changing the relation of its edge incontact with the lower roller.

A finger-plate, L, is adj ustably secured upon the plate K by means of aslot in the plate and a set-screw passing through it. The finger-plate Lextends across the plate a little above its surface, and may beadjusted, by means of the slot and set-screw, at anyrequired distancefrom the rollers.

The metal blank, when it passes from be tween the rollers E E, will bendup in the form of a hoop, because of the unequal expansion of the metal,and will readily assume the form of a circle of any required diametercorresponding with the angle of the guide-plate 1, and dependentsomewhat upon the pressure of the rollers. The end of the blank, when ithas left the rollers, is passed beneath the finger-plate L, which willprevent it from spring ing away from the plate, and will also aid inbendingthe blank to a circle of the required radius.

The plate K is graduated upon its edge, and the plate I is adjusted toconform to the graduations which indicate the radius of the circle ordiameter of the hoop to be formed.

The action of the machine is such that any part or segment of a circlemay be accurately bent without forming an entire hoop of metal, as thecurve given the blank is determined by the position of the guide-plateand the degree of expansion caused by the pressure of the rollers.

The boxes 0 G slide vertical in the housing B, and are held in place byflanges 0. A lune-shaped spring of rubber, M, or other suitablematerial, is interposed between the upper and lower boxings, G G, andholds them a suitable distance apart, which is regulated by a set-screw,N, bearing upon the top of the upper box, by which means any requiredpressure may be placed upon the upper roller, E, to expand the blankmore or less. The boxing 0 0 slides between the housing and is held Wisraised or lowered to allow either the en tire face 0 of the roller E tobear upon the blank equally or to cause its outer edge to bear moreclosely to the lower roller, to exert its pressure close up to theflange of the blank, which is required in forming hoops from narrowblanks.

By the above-described means blanks of any required width and hoops ofany required diameter may be rapidly turned out, small scraps andtrimmings may be utilized, as the machine will operate effectually uponshort sections as well as narrow strips of metal.

When the blanks are out from the sheet they may be cut with the squareshears and edged with a folder very rapidly in a wellknown manner.

The means herein described for adjusting the boxing 0 upon the face ofthe housing is a simple one, and will admit of an immediate adjustmentof the rollers from one position to the other without the delay of theexperimental adjustmentby means of a thumb-screw. The rolls will be heldpositively in the position required, and are not liable to be thrown outof adjustment by accidental causes.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In amachine for rolling sheet metal blanks to form hoops for cylindricalmetallic vessels, the combination of a lower roller with a plane-facedprojecting rim, the upper roller with a projecting mill-faced rimarranged to bear upon the rim of the lower roller, and thepresser-roller, arranged at right angles with the lower roller, to bearagainst the flange of a metal blank, in the manner and for the purposespecified.

2. In a machine for rolling metal hoops, the combination of the rollersE, E, and H, in combination with a slotted bed-plate, F, to hold theblank in place and direct it to the rollers, substantially in the mannerdescribed.

3. -In a machine for rolling metal hoops, the combination of the twovertical rollers, the horizontal roller, the bed plate, and a tangentialguide-plate, I, arranged for joint operation, substantially as and forthe purpose described.

4. In a machine for rolling metal hoops,.the combination of the twovertical rollers, the horizontal roller, the guide-plate I, and agageplate, K, to which one end of the guide-plate is adjustablyconnected, substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. The combination of the vertical rollers, the horizontal roller, theadjustable guideplate, and the adjustable finger-plate secured theretoto hold the hoop in the guide-plates as it is being formed,substantially as described.

6. In a machine for rolling metal hoops, the combination of the rollersE E, for rolling and IIO ' blank, and a roller H, for compressing the tobind the blank close to the flange for roll- 10 flange of the blank andholding it in place ing narrow rims, substantially as specified. whilebeing rolled, the gudgeon 1), housing crimping the body of the flangedsheet-metal edges of the rollers E E are brought together I B, andboxing O, provided with flanges c, that WILLIAM WASHINGTON JONES bearagainst the outer face of the housing B, Witnesses: and is adjustedthereon by means of screws H. W. BUTTORFF,

c and holes 0 0 by which means the outer JOHN E. EBB.

